MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs have His Majesty's Government given attention to the declarations of the Bulgarian Prime Minister in the Sobranye on Saturday last, and have they now any information of the intention of Servia and Bulgaria to unite with the Macedonian insurgents in hostilities against Turkey; will His Majesty's Government now propose to the Powers signatories of the Treaty of Berlin to hold a Conference for considering the position of the Balkan provinces of Turkey, and for concerting the means of establishing therein a settled form of government.
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Earl PERCY, Kensington, S.)His Majesty's Government have seen in the Press a report of General Petroff's speech in the Sobranye on Saturday last. We have no reason to suppose that either Servia or Bulgaria contemplate a deliberate violation of territorial arrangements guaranteed by international treaty. The speech referred to expresses the sincere desire of the Bulgarian Government to contribute to the carrying out of the Mursteg programme and, so far as Servia is concerned, we understand that a public announcement has recently been made of the intention of that country to follow the lead of Austria and Russia, and to support so far as lies in her power the introduction of reforms. The establishment of a settled form of Government, by the removal of administrative abuses, is the object, and will, it is hoped, be the result, of the measures now in course of adoption in Macedonia.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESHas the right hon. Gentleman anything to say in regard to the last paragraph of the Question as to the calling together of a Conference?
§ * EARL PERCYwas understood to reply; in the negative.